[Gllug] Monthly GLLUG grammar report

[Liam Delahunty]

Xander D Harkness wrote:

>If you do not tolerate it in Maths / Physics why should you tolerate it
>is a subject that may be just as precise, English?

But English is not precise, at least, it wasn't.

The reason the British spell colour etc, is because when the dictionaries
where being written the upper & middle classes came under the influence of
the French. Previously to that we had also frequently used color.

The Americans spell in their idiosyncratic manner [1] partially as they
(possibly Webster was the author) wanted to distance themselves from the
British in their language as well as politics. Regardless, the common use of
print changed our language as suddenly there was a "definitive" way of
spelling and rules to be used; or at least a common reference.

English was a fluid language, borrowing freely from other languages and
adapting to current usage and fashions. I think it's a matter for regret
that what was once so adaptable has become bogged down by rules and "proper"
grammar. Obviously, some form of standardised usage is to be encouraged, but
the most important use of language is to convey meaning, and regrettably
that seems to pass most educators by while the spelling of "kat" or using "I
ain't" doesn't.

Kind regards,
Liam Delahunty
Mega Products Limited, 10-11 Moor Street, Soho, London W1D 5NF
t: 020 7434 4201 f: 0870 135 8412
http://www.liamdelahunty.com/ web/ design/ database/ programming
http://www.britstream.com/ Hosting/ Domain Names From UKP 7.50 p.a.

[1] Arguably, the British spelling is now idiosyncratic as most global users
of English are speaking/writing American English. It will only be a matter
of time before we all do.

[2] Indeed Webster's dictionary itself was used "politically". Today some
Christian groups in the US want to see the previous edition being
re-established in schools as they have a more conservative and Christian
definitions.


-- 
Gllug mailing list  -  Gllug at linux.co.uk
http://list.ftech.net/mailman/listinfo/gllug